Drive for roving frames



Dec. 1924. 1,519,953

L. S. CRENSHAW DRIVE FOR ROVING FRAMES Filed March 29. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwve'ntoz Leon arc? 4S. 'Crensizaw Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

LEONARD SAMUL CRENSHAW, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LAWRENCE D. TYSON, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

DRIVE FOR ROVING FRAMES.

Application filed March 29, 1923. Serial No. 628,666.

To a'ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD S. CREN- SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drives for Roving Frames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in drives for roving frames.

In the ordinary roving frame, the bobbin drive shaft is driven from the main shaft by a train of intermeshing gears. Heretofore this method of transmitting power to the bobbin drive shaft has been considered the only practical one inasmuch as friction gearing such as belt and pulley drive could not be employed because of the slippage of the parts, the occurrence of which places an uneven tension on the yarn and interferes with proper winding of the yarn on the bobbins. On the other hand, intermeshing gears present the disadvantages that they cannot be operated at a very high rate of speed, they and their mountings must be more or less cumbersome thereby requiring more power to drive the frame, and they are noisy in operation. It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to pro vide a novel gear mechanism for transmitting power from the main drive shaft to the bobbin drive shaft, which means will be practically noiseless in operation, and proof against slippage, thereby maintaining a constant and uniform tension on the yarn, and furthermore adapted to be operated at a much higher rate of speed than in the machines employing intermeshing gears, thereby conserving power and increasing the capacity of the frame.

The drive embodying the invention com prises sprockets and chains, and the invention contemplates so mounting the parts that a constant and uniform tension will be maintained on the chains thus providing against any irregular transmission of power and yet adapting the bobbin driving shaft to be driven at a much higher rate of speed than is ordinarily possible.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the drive embodying the invention installed in a roving frame;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the drive;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the drive;

Figure 4 is a vertical front to rear sectional view on the line 4 of Fig. 3.

In Figure 1 of the drawings there is illustrated so much of a roving frame as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention and in this figure the numeral 1 in dicates one of the upright sides of the machine, the numeral 2, the usual beam upon which are supported the bearings 3 for the bobbin spindles which are indicated by the numeral 4, these spindles carrying bevel pin ions 5 which mesh with bevel gears 6 upon the bobbin drive shaft which is indicated by the numeral 7, the main drive shaft being indicated by the numeral 8.

shafts and mesh with each other and serve to transmit motion from the back bobbin drive shaft to the front drive shaft. These gears 9 are enclosed within a housing which is indicated by the numeral 10 and which comprises side members 11 and a connecting web 12, the beam 2 being secured at one end to a bracket portion 13 upon one of the side members 11, and the other side member being provided upon its outer face with a slide 14: which is vertically movable along a guide 15 upon the inner side of the side upright 1 of the frame, the vertical up and down movement of the slide and consequently the bobbin drive shafts and their associated gears being effected in the usual manner.

The numeral 16 indicates in general a yoke frame in which a portion of the gearing embodying the invention is mounted. This frame comprises a pair of arms 17 provided at their lower ends with bearing portions 18 fitted to the rear bobbin shaft '7 in a manner to provide for swinging movement of the arms about this shaft, the arms being located immediately outwardly of the sides 11 of the housing 10. The yoke further comprises a head section which is indicated by the numeral 19 and embodies side portions 20 and a connecting portion 21 which extends between the upper ends of the Gears 9 are fixed upon the front and back bobbin drive :gear and about the gear 29.

said side portions. The side portions 20 of the head section 19 are disposed between the upper portions of the arms 17, and the said arms are formed with longitudinal slots 22 receiving studs 23 which project outwardly from the lower ends of the said side portions 20, nuts 24 being threaded onto the said studs to bind against the outer sides of the arms 17 and thus provide means for securing the head section 19 in positions of adjustment with relation to the said arms. The side portions 20 of the head section 19 of the yoke frame are formed with bearings 25 in which is mounted a spindle 26, one end of which spindle projects beyond the corresponding side portion 20 for a purpose to be presently explained. The numeral 27 indicates in general a double sprocket gear which comprises a gear 28 and a gear 29, the two being integrally connected by an intermediate hub portion 30 which is freely rotatable upon the spindle 26. A sprocket gear 31 isfixed upon the rear bobbin shaft 7, and a sprocket chain 32 is trained about this 7 A sprocket chain 33 is trained about the gear 28 and about a sprocket gear 3 1 which is fixed upon the main drive shaft 8.

An arm 85 is provided at its lower end with a bearing collar 36 which loosely fits the main drive shaft 8, and at its upper end this arm is provided with a bearing portion 37 which is pivotally fitted to the projecting end of the spindle 26. The arm is of such length that the sprocket chain 33 will be held taut to the proper degree, and by adjusting the head section 19 with relation to the arms 17 0f the yoke 16, the sprocket chain 32 may be likewise made taut.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be evident that by providing sprocket chains of the so-called silent type, power may be transmitted at a high rate of speed from the drive shaft 8 to the rear bobbin shaft 7 and by the gears 9 to the front bobbin shaft. The rise and fall of the bobbin shaft assemblage does not in any way affect or disturb the transmission of power to the bobbin shafts due to the arrangement of the yoke 16 and the strut arm 35. It will be evident therefore that by the gearing embodying the invention, power is transmitted at a constant and uniform rate of speed from the main drive shaft 8 to the bobbin shafts 7 thereby insuring of uniform winding of the yarn upon the bobbins. At the same time the invention provides for the transmission of power at a higher rate of speed so that the capacity of the roving frame is greatly increased.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a. roving'fran'ie drive, the combination wit "nedrive shaft and the bobbin shaft,

of a. yoke swingingly connected with the bobbin shaft, an arm swingingly connected with the drive shaft and pivotally connected with the yoke, sprockets mounted in the yoke, sprockets upon the drive and bobbin shafts, a chain trained about one of the first mentioned sprockets and the sprocket upon the drive shaft, and a chain trained about the other first mentioned sprocket and about the sprocket upon the bobbin shaft.

2. In a roving frame drive, the combination with the drive shaft and the bobbin shaft, of a bearing frame comprising articulated members, sprockets mounted in the bearing frame, sprockets upon the drive and bobbin shafts, a chain trained about one of the first mentioned sprockets and the sprocket upon the drive shaft, and a chain trained about the other one of the first mentioned sprockets and the sprocket upon the bobbin shaft.

3. In a roving frame drive, the combination with the drive shaft and the bobbin shaft, of ayoke comprising arms swingingly connected with the bobbin shaft, and. a head section adjustably mounted upon the arms, an arm swingingly connected with the drive shaft and pivotally connected withthe yoke, sprockets mounted in the yoke, sprockets upon the drive and bobbin shafts, a chain trained about one of the first mentioned sprockets and about the sprocket upon the drive shaft, and a chain trained about the other one of the first mentioned sprockets and about the sprocket upon the bobbin shaft. I

4. In a roving frame drive, the combination with the drive shaft and the bobbin shaft, of a yoke frame comprising arms swingingly connected with the bobbin shaft, a head section mounted between the arms and adjustable with relation thereto, a spindle journaled in the said section of the yoke frame, a double sprocket gear freely rotatable upon the spindle, sprockets upon the drive and bobbin shafts, an arm swingingly connected with the drive shaft and pivotally connected with the said spindle, a chain trained aboutone of the sprockets of the first mentioned. gear and about the sprocket upon the drive shaft, and a chain trained about the other sprocket of the first mentioned gear and about the sprocket upon the bobbin shaft.

5. In a rovin frame drive, the combination with the (rive shaft and the bobbin shaft, of a yoke comprising arms swingingly connected with the bobbin shaft, and a head section adjustably mounted upon the arms and having portions extending beside the arms, means connecting the said portions of the head and the said arms of the yoke for holding the parts in positions-of adjustment whereby the head may be positioned at different distances from the said sprocket upon the drive shaft, and a chain bobbin shaft, an arm swingingly connecttrained about the other one of the first mened With the drive shaft and pivotally contioned sprockets and about the sprocket upon 10 nected With the yoke, sprockets mounted in the bobbin shaft.

- the yoke, sprockets upon the drive and bob- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

bin shafts, a chain trained about one of the first mentioned sprockets and about the LEONARD SAMUL CRENSHAW- 

